Spotlight on Knile Davis and 4 other Arkansas players to watch

Arkansas running back Knile Davis has 132 rushing yards through the first two games of the season. (AP photo)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- This, perhaps, hasn't been the start Arkansas running back Knile Davis envisioned while he sat out all of the 2011 season with a broken ankle.

Against Jacksonville State in the season opener, he ran for 70 yards, but averaged just 3.9 yards per carry. In last week's upset loss to Louisiana-Monroe, he had 62 yards on 16 carries. His longest run has gone for 19 yards.

The performances have likely taken Davis out of the running for the Heisman trophy many thought he might have a chance to win, but it hasn't altered the respect Alabama coach Nick Saban has for the junior running back.

"I
think he’s a very good player, he had a great year a couple of years ago," Saban said. "I
think he’s certainly playing extremely well right now. He hasn’t had quite as
many opportunities, but when he has had the ball he’s been very effective,
healthy, fast, quick, strong, he has good running instincts.

"We think the guy
is an outstanding player."

We've got our eye on four other Razorbacks heading into Saturday's game. We've talked enough about quarterback Tyler Wilson, so he's not included in this group.

RB Dennis Johnson: If you're thinking to yourself, "This guy has been at Arkansas forever," you're not alone. Johnson has been just that productive during the past four years. He's been arguably more effective than Davis through the Razorbacks' first two games. He's gained 88 yards on 12 carries, good for an average of more than 7 yards per carry. His longest rush has gone for just 12 yards, which tells me that he's been getting good, consistent gains on most of his carries. He's also Arkansas' ace on kick returns, already taking one back for 42 yards.

TE Chris Gragg: He's been the favorite target of whomever is lined up behind center. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound senior leads the Razorbacks with 14 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns. He was basically unstoppable in Arkansas' season opener against Jacksonville State, when he caught seven passes for 110 yards and two scores. He will be the second NFL-caliber tight end Alabama has seen in the last two weeks, as Western Kentucky's Jack Doyle also required some extra attention.

LB Alonzo Highsmith: Coming off a year in which he made an immediate impact as a junior-college transfer, Highsmith has been a steady producer through the first two games of his senior season. He's third on the team with 15 tackles and is one of a handful of Razorbacks with a sack. His relatively slow start can probably be attributed to the hamstring injury that forced him to miss a good chunk of camp. Last year, Highsmith finished with 80 tackles, 12.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries, one
forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception and one pass
breakup.

S Ross Rasner: After a few years of seeing action off the bench, Rasner has made the most of his opportunity to start as a senior. He leads the Razorbacks with 20 tackles, 1.5 of which went for a loss, and has one interception that he returned for 33 yards. His coverage skills might leave something to desire, but he's a hard hitter. This is a good bounce-back for Rasner, who was suspended indefinitely in April 2011 after his arrest for minor possession of alcohol and possession of a controlled substance.